Meta Loses Bid for Insurance in Social Media Addiction Cases

Meta Platforms Inc.'s liability insurers, including units of Hartford Insurance Group Inc. and Chubb Ltd., are off the hook for its defense costs in litigation alleging the tech giant got kids hooked on its platforms.

The lawsuits didn’t present an “occurrence” that would trigger coverage because they alleged only intentional conduct by Meta, Delaware Superior Court Judge Sheldon K. Rennie said in a Friday order granting the insurers’ motion for summary judgment.

“The Social Media Litigation complaints adequately allege that it was not ‘mere fortuity’ that youth-oriented platforms—deliberately designed to maximize engagement through algorithmic consumption—would result in children becoming ...